The Boyfriend of the Month Club by Maria Geraci Page A

said. “He must really like you, Gracielita.”
    Sarah didn’t say anything. Not that Sarah had to say anything for Grace to know what she was thinking. It was obvious Sarah was impressed. But Sarah hadn’t been there Saturday night. Brandon Farrell’s bad behavior couldn’t be wiped out by a few expensive flowers. Especially ones with thorns.
    “It’s no big deal,” Grace said, mostly for her parents’ and Abuela’s benefit. “I went out with him and he has a lot of money. He probably sends roses to all his dates.”
    “Yeah, but why eighteen?” Ellen asked again.
    Grace shoved the note inside the pocket of her khaki pants. “Will you stop with the eighteen already? Not everything has to have a hidden meaning.”
    Penny pulled out her BlackBerry. “I’ll start looking up numbers to roofing companies.”
    Grace threw Penny a smile, grateful for the change in subject. She patted her father on the back. “Pop, why don’t you and Mami take Abuela home? Penny and I will stay here and come up with a plan.” She could see by the expression on his face that he wanted to stay and help. “You made me manager so you wouldn’t have to worry about stuff like this. I have it under control.”
    “Grace is right, Charlie. Let her handle this,” said Mami. “Remember your blood pressure!”
    Pop looked like he was about to bust an artery. “Okay, but I’m just a phone call away if you need me. And don’t forget to double check the lock on the doors when you close up.” Pop always told Grace to double check the locks. It was a habit he couldn’t seem to grow out of. Grace was used to it so she just nodded.
    Mami shuffled Pop and Abuela out the door but not before Grace could grab the Santa hat from Abuela’s hand. “I think the hat looks fine the way it is. Maybe you can make the alligator something new for Valentine’s Day,” Grace suggested. She’d never been crazy about the Cupid costume Gator Claus was forced to wear. It looked too . . . feminine. And Gator Claus was definitely all male.
    “There’s a roofer who can come out tomorrow. That is, if it’s not raining,” Penny said, punching numbers into her BlackBerry. “I’ll call a few more companies so we can get more estimates.”
    “Thanks, Pen.” What would Grace do without Penny? “And when you’re finished with that, call up all the employees and tell them that tomorrow we’ll be open for business as usual.”
    “But I thought your dad said we should close the store until the roof gets fixed.”
    “I know what he said, but every day we’re closed is a drop in revenue. Don’t worry, I’ll handle Pop. I’m going to put up the alligator tooth display right where he wants it. He’ll be so happy he won’t care what I do.”
    Penny looked doubtful, but she went back to looking up numbers in her BlackBerry. Grace walked Sarah and Ellen out to their cars. Ellen handed her the takeout boxes with their lunch.
    “Thanks for rushing over here,” Grace said.
    “Of course,” Sarah said. “I love Florida Charlie’s.”
    Ellen nodded in agreement. “This place is special. It would be terrible if anything happened to the store.”
    Grace stood under the porch area and watched as they drove off. It was still raining, although it appeared to be letting up some, so maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all. Grace repositioned the Santa hat back on Gator Claus’s head.
    “The roses don’t mean anything, you know,” she said, strategically laying the pom-pom to land next to Gator Claus’s jawline. Somehow it made him look jollier this way. Less . . . reptilelike.
    “He probably has an account at Benson’s the same way he has an account at Chez Louis. He probably gets roses on discount, he buys so many. Besides, it doesn’t matter. Nothing in this world is going to change my mind about Brandon Farrell, so he might as well be dead to me.”
    Gator Claus’s expression turned smug.
    “Don’t look at me like that or I might let Abuela have